A Guide To Selecting Soil For Succulents

Unlike typical houseplants that need a rich, moisture-retaining potting soil, cacti and succulents thrive best in a very different type of soil mixture. Traditional houseplant soil is dark in color from containing a high percentage of organic matter like compost, bark, and decomposed plant materials. This organic matter helps hold moisture in the soil.

Succulents in soil, on the other hand, is made up primarily of inorganic or mineral components with very little organic matter. This is because succulents are drought-tolerant plants adapted to dry, arid environments. Their specialized leaves and stems are designed to store water, so their roots don't require constantly moist soil.

For succulents, the ideal potting mix contains:

• A high percentage (50-70%) of coarse minerals like sand, perlite, or pumice
• A low percentage (30-50%) of organic matter like a small amount of compost or bark

The large volume of mineral grit creates a loose, grainy, porous soil texture. This type of soil mix has excellent drainage and does not compact or absorb moisture readily. Any excess water rapidly passes through after watering, instead of being retained.

There are a few key reasons this fast-draining, porous mineral soil is perfect for succulents:

1. It avoids moisture accumulation around the roots, preventing root rot and fungal issues that excess moisture causes.
2. The loose particles allow the roots to spread easily and latch on for solid anchoring.
3. The soil dries out rapidly after watering, replicating the arid environment succulents have adapted for.

In contrast, a traditional dense, organic-rich potting mix would stay saturated for too long, leading to root rot and plant death in moisture-sensitive succulents. Their roots are designed to quickly absorb any available water, then have the soil dry out again completely.

With the proper loose, grainy, mineral-based soil mixture, succulent roots can solidly anchor while having their unique drought-tolerant, moisture-needs met through infrequent watering. The porous, fast-draining soil creates an ideal base for healthy succulent growth.

All potting soils contain a blend of organic and inorganic components. The organic matter comes from things like compost, peat moss, bark, or coco coir. This material helps soil retain moisture and provides nutrients as it decomposes.

The inorganic components are mineral particles like sand, perlite, vermiculite, or crushed granite/lava rock. These create air spaces in the soil for drainage and aeration. Different particle sizes produce different drainage rates.

For succulents what soil is good? Well, you want soil that dries out quickly and doesn't stay soggy. These plants evolved to thrive in arid conditions with very little moisture. Their specialized stems and leaves store water, so constantly wet soil will cause rots. The ideal succulent soil has:

Low Organic Content

• Limit compost, peat, bark to 10-20% of the mix
• Too much organic matter holds excess moisture

High Mineral/Drainage Amendments

• At least 50% of the mix should be mineral particles
• Coarse sand (up to 1/4 inch in size) provides fast drainage
• Perlite and pumice create airspaces for the soil to breathe

The remaining portion can be a well-draining potting mix or soil base. The goal is an incredibly porous, airy soil that dries in 1-3 days after watering. This mimics succulents' natural growing conditions.

You can find commercial succulent/cactus soil mixes or make your own blends. Pay close attention to the ingredient ratios to ensure proper drainage and aeration for these drought-loving plants' needs.

Succulents have specific soil requirements to support their drought-tolerant nature and shallow root systems. The right soil foundation is crucial whether growing them indoors or outdoors.

Proper Drainage

The most important factor is excellent drainage. Succulents cannot tolerate soggy, compacted soil as their fleshy roots are prone to rotting. Use a loose, rocky, gritty soil mix that allows water to flow through rapidly after watering.

For in-ground outdoor gardens, amend heavy soils by mixing in 30-50% inorganic grit like coarse sand, perlite, pumice or crushed gravel. This creates the porous structure succulents need.

For container plants, use a commercially-made cacti/succulent potting mix, or make your own fast-draining blend with ingredients like coir, bark fines, and drainage additives.

Test Soil pH

Succulents prefer a slightly acidic to neutral soil pH between 6.0-6.5. Highly alkaline soils over 7.0 can lead to nutrient deficiencies and failure to thrive. Use a simple soil test kit and amend with lime to raise pH or sulfur to lower pH as needed before planting.

Amending Nutrients

Most succulent enthusiasts find that nutrient-poor soils actually benefit these plants by limiting excessive growth. However, you can amend the soil with:

• 10-20% compost or aged manure for some organic matter
• Small amounts of worm castings for gentle nutrients
• Crushed egg/oyster shells for calcium if desired

The main considerations are rapid drainage from a very porous, gritty soil mixture within the preferred acidic pH range. With the right soil foundation, succulents can thrive for years with their unique drought-tolerant adaptations.

Succulents need a very well-draining, porous soil mix that avoids holding too much moisture against their drought-tolerant nature. Creating the ideal succulent potting soil is all about using the right ratios of ingredients.

A Basic Succulent Soil Recipe

A classic succulent soil blend contains 3 main components - coarse sand or grit, regular potting soil, and perlite or pumice. A good starting point is to use equal parts coarse sand and potting mix, with half as much perlite/pumice. So a 2:2:1 ratio mix would be:

• 2 parts coarse sand or grit
• 2 parts potting soil or coir
• 1 part perlite or pumice

The Sand

Don't use fine-grained sand, which can compact over time. Instead, choose coarse, gritty sand or grit with particles up to 1/4 inch wide. This mimics succulents' natural growing environments and provides excellent drainage and airflow in the soil.

Potting Soil For Succulents

The potting soil supplies organic matter that retains some moisture and provides nutrients. Any standard, well-draining potting mix made for indoor houseplants will work. Or use coir (ground coconut husks) which is incredibly airy. Just avoid dense garden soils meant for water retention.

The Perlite/Pumice

Both perlite (white pebbles) and pumice (tan/grey lava rock) are porous amendments that dramatically increase drainage and air circulation in the soil mix when added. Pumice is less likely to float to the surface when watering, but perlite is easier to find.

This basic fast-draining, gritty mix provides low moisture conditions suited for succulents and cacti. Feel free to adjust the ratios if your particular species prefers even more or less moisture retention.

Many types of plant soil for succulents can grow well and stay healthy without any extra fertilizer. Their normal growth will be consistent. However, using a fertilizer can really help the soil provide more nutrients to the plants. This allows the succulent to reach its full potential in several ways:

• The leaves and stems will look more vibrantly colored and vibrant
• The plant will produce more abundant, beautiful flowers when it blooms
• A high-quality organic fertilizer will improve the overall health and lifespan

When choosing a fertilizer, look specifically for ones made for use with succulents and cactus plants. These are formulated differently than fertilizers for other plants. The ideal succulent fertilizer should have:

• A low amount of nitrogen compared to other nutrients
• Beneficial microorganisms that are good for the soil

Succulents don't constantly drink up water from the soil like some plants. For this reason, it's best to use a slow-release fertilizer formula. This type releases a small amount of nutrients gradually over time, rather than all at once. The slow-release will provide nourishment to the succulent whenever it needs it, not all at once.

Growing healthy succulents starts with having the right soil mixture. While succulents are remarkably resilient plants, their soil can occasionally run into a couple of common issues. Recognizing these problems early and addressing them properly is important for your succulents' vigor.

Soil Compaction

One problem you may notice is soil compaction. With compacted soil, water runs straight through the pot and drains out the bottom without actually absorbing into the soil. This prevents the succulent's roots from getting proper moisture and nutrients.

Soil compaction doesn't usually occur if the succulent soil was formulated correctly from the start. However, it can develop over time if:

• The plant has gone an extremely long period without being watered, allowing the soil to become hydrophobic
• There is too high of a percentage of organic matter like compost or bark in the soil mix

If you do end up with compacted soil, the best solution is to repot your succulent into a fresh batch of soil. When repotting:

• Add extra perlite, pumice, or coarse sand to the new soil mixture - at least 50% by volume
• These inorganic, porous amendments prevent future compaction
• Water the newly repotted plant thoroughly right away to rehydrate the soil

Too Many Nutrients

Another potential issue is soil that is too high in nutrients, particularly nitrogen. While nutrient deficiency stunts growth, too many nutrients can actually cause succulents to grow in a leggy, unbalanced, and overly stretching manner.

This is because succulents are adapted to living in nutrient-poor environments. Their soil should be very well-draining but not overly rich. Excess nitrogen often comes from:

• Using a potting mix with too much compost or manure
• Over-fertilizing with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer

To remedy nutrient overload, you can:

• Amend the existing soil by mixing in more perlite, pumice, or coarse sand
• This dilutes the percentage of nutrient-dense organic matter
• Consider repotting if amending doesn't solve the stretched growth
• Be very sparse with fertilizers going forward for succulents

The ideal succulent soil has excellent drainage, is fairly nutrient-poor, and has around 50-70% inorganic grit to create the proper environment for healthy succulent growth.

As discussed, succulents require a very different, fast-draining soil mixture compared to typical houseplants. This specialized soil helps replicate the arid environments succulents are adapted to. 

However, proper watering practices are just as crucial for succulent health as having the right soil. One of the biggest mistakes succulent growers make is overwatering.

Key Watering Tips:

• Water deeply and thoroughly, saturating the entire soil mixture, but less frequently than other houseplants
• After watering, allow any excess moisture to fully drain out the bottom of the pot
• If using a saucer under the pot, be sure to empty it after watering so the roots don't stay soggy
• Then let the soil dry out, with the top couple inches becoming fully dry before watering again
• Following a consistent watering schedule, with dry periods between, keeps the roots healthy
• It's better to keep succulents on the under-watered side rather than over-watered
• If the plant starts shriveling or getting wrinkled leaves, this indicates the time for its next watering

Overwatering is the easiest way to kill succulents through root rot and disease. Their specialized roots are adapted to rapidly absorbing any available moisture, then having the soil dry out completely again.

No matter if you buy premixed "cactus/succulent" soil or make your own gritty mix, fast drainage is absolutely essential. The ideal loose, porous, mineral-based soil allows excess moisture to flow through rapidly while providing an aerated base for roots to spread.